Seth woke up the next morning, alone on the couch, naked, with a blanket over him. He didn't know how long he slept but he felt well rested. He looked on the ground to see his clothes lying there and quickly grabbed them. He got dressed and began to look for Ava. He moved upstairs and found Ava with Sam in Sam's room. He peeked in as they seemed to be coloring together. He smiled as Ava interacted with her son. Seth loved watching her in mommy mode. Ava noticed Seth. "Hey, there. Sleep good?" She asked.
"Yeah." He chimed. "The best in days."
Ava noticed Seth looking refreshed. She didn't know if it was the sexual release or the sleep or both, but he looked so much better then he had in days. She stood up and walked over to him. She gave him a kiss and his facial hair tickled her. She pulled back and moved her fingers over the facial hair. She cringed as she said, "This has to go."
"I don't know." Seth smiled as he moved his hand over the bottom half of his face. "I kinda like it."
"Seth, you looked like a bum." She said, displeased.
He laughed and said, "Okay, it will be gone today."
"Good." She said with a smiled and quickly kissed him again. Then she asked, "You hungry?"
"Actually, I am." As he realized he was starving.
"I'll make you breakfast then." She said to him.
She moved out of the room. Seth watched her move down the hall and disappear down the stairs. He looked back into the room at Sam as he continued to color. He said to the boy, "How about you pack that up and we'll take it downstairs and I'll color or draw with you."
Sam's eyes brightened as he loved the idea. He quickly got the stuff together. They both walked downstairs and moved to the counter. They sat on the bar stools and began to color together. Ava would look over at them from time to time as she cooked breakfast as she smiled at the pair. As they continued, Sam stopped and looked at Seth. He asked, "Seth, can I ask you something?"
"Sure." Seth chimed as he continued to color.
"You love mommy, right?" He asked.
Seth stopped coloring and looked at him. He said to the boy, "Of course, I do."
"And you love me?" Sam asked.
Seth smiled as he answered, "I do, Sam."
"And you are basically like my dad, right?" He asked Seth.
Seth looked at Ava as she was already looking at Sam startled by his question. He looked back at Sam and smiled, "I guess, I am."
"Well, can I call you dad?" Sam asked, hopeful.
Seth was in shock by the request. He loved Sam but never dared crossed that line. But now Sam wanted to. Seth had no clue how to answer his question. He looked at Ava some help. She was in shock. Her eyes were tearing up and her hands were over her mouth. She then noticed Seth looking at her. He wanted her approval, she could tell. She removed her hands as she smiled. "I'm okay with it, if you are." She told him softly.
He looked back at Sam, who was looking at Seth, waiting for an answer and smiled at him with a sweet smile. He said to him, "Yeah, you can."
"Good." Sam beamed with a smile.
Then Seth asked, "Why this sudden need to call me dad?"
"Cause you are." Sam answered. "You love me like one. And you play with me like a dad does." Then he became a bit somber. "I never had one."
Seth looked at Sam with sadness as well as it hit him what Sam missed out on having a father. "I thought if anyone could be my dad, it would be you."
Seth smiled at him, forgetting sometimes for a ten year old, he was quite smart. "I would love that, Sam."
He hugged the boy with one arm and kissed him on the top of his head. Ava watched the two as she was happy for her son. He finally had a father. She never pushed the two together, so to see how much the relationship had blossomed on it's own, made her heart swell. Seth held onto the boy as he looked back at Ava. His life seemed to be perfect. But then he remembered what was happening in their lives, as Will threatened their happiness. He looked back down at Sam as he felt he had more of a reason to fight for them. He again kissed the top of Sam's head as he worried what this monster might do to his family.
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Seth and Ava were in their bed as Sam slept between them. Seth looked at him as he ran his fingers through the boy's hair. "So, the school called again today about Sam." He told Ava.
"What did you tell them?" She asked.
He sighed as he knew she wouldn't like the answer. "I told them he would be back to school on Monday."
"What? Why would you do that?" Ava began to get upset.
She knew she would be. "Ava, we can't do this. We cannot allow him to control our lives so much that we refuse to leave this house. It's not health, not for any of us. Especially not for Sam. He has no clue what is going on and he is questioning a few things lately." Seth explained.
"I know." She breathed as she looked down at Sam. "I know he has. And I know this isn't good for him." She looked back at him and became emotional. "But what if he gets him while he is at school." She was worried.
"Do you trust me?" He asked her.
"Of course." She quickly answered.
He looked at her as he said, sincerely, "Then know I will take every step to make sure that does not happen."
She nodded. Then Seth said to her, "We should also go back to work on Monday."
"Seth." She breathed as she didn't want that either.
"I know, love. It is a lot with what is going on. But we have to live a normal life, as much as we can. Do you understand me?" He asked her.
She nodded, reluctantly. "Good." He said. "We have one more day, baby. Then we go back to how it was before."
"It can never be how it was before." She told him.
"I know. But we have to try. For Sam's sake. He needs normalcy." Seth told her.
She again nodded. Seth looked down at Sam as he slept. He knew Sam needed life to go back to how it was. He just hoped he made the right decision in doing so.
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Monday came, Sam and Seth were already down in the kitchen early in the morning as Ava finished getting ready for work. Vikki was there, making and serving breakfast. Sam was eating as Seth sat next to him eating as well. "Dad?" Sam looked at Seth.
Seth smiled as he loved Sam calling dad. "Yeah?" He asked.
"Do you think one day I could go to work with you? I would like to see how they do everything." He asked.
Seth looked away and thought about it. He answered, "Well, maybe your next break you have. We'll have to talk to your mother about it first." Seth answered. "But you will not miss anymore school, understand."
"Yes, sir." Sam said.
Seth just looked at him and smiled. Ava walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. She looked at Sam and said, sternly, "Sam, go get your stuff, we have to go."
Sam jumped down and said, "Yes, mommy."
He ran up the stairs and Vikki asked her, "You don't want any breakfast?"
Ava shook her head. "Thank you, thou."
Seth looked at her concerned as she looked pale. "Baby, maybe you should eat something."
"I can't, Seth. No time. Also the way my stomach is, I don't think I will be able to keep it down. I threw up twice already." She told him.
He got up and walked over to her. He looked at her as he grew more concerned. "Maybe you shouldn't go to work if you're stomach is upset. Maybe you should see a doctor."
Again she shook her head. "I am okay, Seth. And you are right. I can't just lock myself away. Plus, I'll be so worried about Sam, work will at least be a distraction." She answered.
Seth looked displeased as he said, "Promise me that if you feel worse, you will see a doctor."
She smiled at him and said, sweetly, "I promise, baby."
Sam came back down the stairs and Ava looked at Sam as she asked, "Ready?"
Sam nodded. Ava then looked at Teddy, who stood in the distance. He noticed and walked over to her. She said to him, "I'll drive him to school. I will text throughout the day to check on him. Okay?"
Teddy nodded in understanding. Seth moved an arm around Sam and hugged him. He told him, "Have a good day at school."
"Okay, dad." He said as he hugged Seth back.
Seth smiled and kissed the top of his head. Then he gave Ava a quick kiss. They left. Seth knew that the day would be hard as she would worry about Sam and he would worry about them both.
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Seth couldn't stop worrying about Ava or Sam. Especially Sam. It was the first day since Will called he wasn't with them. He hated it. At least when they were with him, he knew they were safe. At the table read, he was distracted. His friends noticed. As they now knew something much bigger was going on, knew it was serious enough for Seth to miss the last week of work. They all worried as Seth seemed distracted. As soon as the table read was over, he looked at his phone and knew Sam would be getting out of school in an hour. He stood up and Mila and Alex walked over to him. Mila asked, "How is it going?"
Seth shook his head as he felt fried. Alex then asked, "Is Ava and Sam doing okay?"
Seth answered, "Yeah, Ava's nerves are a wreak but she is fine. Sam is at school as Ava went back to work."
"I'm surprised she is okay with that with everything?" Mila said.
"She isn't. But I told her we couldn't live like prisoners in our own home, so we had to try to get back to normal, as much as we could with everything going on. Especially for Sam's sake. He has no clue what is going on. We cannot let him live in fear. He is just a boy." He explained. Then he said, "Sam is about to get out of school and I cannot think straight, so I am going to pick him up to put Ava and my mind at ease."
The girls nodded. He told them, "I'll see you tomorrow."
They gave him a smile and he left. He quickly let the building and got into his car. He took off and went straight to Sam's school. He parked out front as he waited for the school to be released. He then grabbed his phone and texted Ava. 'I am picking Sam up.'
He knew it would make her feel better knowing he was there picking Sam up. She replied. 'Good.'
He then texted Teddy to let him know he was outside the school. Finally the bell ran and he moved out of his car as he waited for Sam. It was the first time he was picking Sam up from the school personally. So people recognized Seth as he was a celebrity. He tried to ignore them as he noticed kids walking out of the school. He got antsy waiting for Sam. He finally saw him with Teddy and Franco, another bodyguard he hired for Sam. Sam saw Seth and brightened as he yelled, "Dad!"
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Will stood outside Sam's school as they were released. He watched parents get their kids as he looked around. Then he saw his boy. He was in between two big guys. Will knew they were his bodyguards. Seth definitely up security around the boy, he thought. Will just watched knowing he couldn't get too close to the boy. Then he heard the boy yell, "Dad!"
Will stood there a bit shaken. Did he recognize me? Does he know who I am? Sam ran off as the bodyguards were on his tail. But he just ran past Will. He watched as Sam almost jumped in Seth's arms, excitedly. Will became angry. He couldn't help but get angry that they allowed his son to call another man dad. He watched as Seth hugged the boy and kissed the top of his head. Then noticed Seth exchanging words with the boy as a smile played on his face. Will became infuriated as he couldn't believe Ava would go this far. If he couldn't have his family, he definitely wasn't going to allow another man to have them.
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Seth smiled as he watched Sam run over to him as the guards were right behind him. He almost jumped into Seth's arms as he hugged him. Seth wrapped his arms around the boy, glad to see he was safe. He kissed the top of his head. Sam pulled away and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"What? You're not happy to see me?" Seth asked with a smile.
Sam smiled back. "I am. You just never have pick me up from school."
"Well, it's is about time I did. I plan on making it more of a habit." Seth told him.
Sam beamed. Seth looked around and noticed a few people taking pictures. Seth was not happy about it. He knew Ava would be less happy with it. He looked at Sam, "Come on, let's go home."
Same nodded as he walked Sam over to the car and opened the door for him. Sam crawled in and Seth closed it behind him. He looked at Teddy and Franco. "Teddy, I'll see you later. Franco, I'll see you at home."
They both nodded and Seth moved over to the driver side. He got in and took off quickly.